New program helps patients with food insecurity

Posted by Kaitlyn McConnell on Sept. 10, 2019

It’s
a tragic fact that many families throughout the Ozarks struggle with poverty,
and something that often accompanies that reality is food insecurity.

Food
insecurity – not having enough to eat, or not always knowing if food will be
available – affects more than someone’s stomach. It can also affect their
health, especially for people with specific conditions such as high blood
pressure or diabetes.

Such
factors led Dr. Karissa Merritt to start a new initiative to help her patients
in need have more healthy food options.

Dr.
Merritt practices at Family Medical Care Center (FMCC), a CoxHealth clinic on
Springfield’s north side that traditionally sees higher rates of poverty – and,
as a result, high rates of food insecurity.

Through
Dr. Merritt’s efforts, doctors at the clinic are now able to write
“prescriptions” for healthy food for patients with food insecurity, which may
be redeemed for healthy food at Crosslines and Springfield Community Gardens.

The program has seen such success that a code has been made for food insecurity
in CoxHealth’s system, allowing any physician to diagnose patients with food
insecurity.

“A
lot of people struggle in ways that we don’t really look into as a care team,”
says Dr. Merritt. “If people aren’t able to eat, their highest priority isn’t
blood pressure or diabetes control.”

The
“prescriptions” are only one aspect of the clinic’s efforts to combat food
insecurity. Dietetic interns from Cox College regularly visit the clinic, and
help educate patients on how to eat healthfully from a food pantry.

In addition
to connecting patients with resources for food away from the clinic, FMCC
physicians also have an emergency supply of food at the clinic for patients who
are in crisis and can’t wait.

“Low-quality
food is impacting health outcomes,” says Dr. Merritt. “There are factors, apart
from health care – like access to food – that are keeping people in hospital.”